“The Deaf Ninja” Kyle Schulze makes determined run

Kyle Schulze, who is known as “The Deaf Ninja,” was on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior on Monday night for the Season 13 qualifying round. He did not reach the final buzzer, but went far enough in the course to qualify for the semifinals. 

There is a video of his run, the link is in the description and transcript. 

It shows Kyle running through the first obstacle easily, but after he got past the second obstacle, you could see that he was grabbing his left shoulder and grimacing. 

The hosts of the show said Kyle separated his shoulder in a snowboarding accident earlier this year.

For the third obstacle, Kyle could choose from two “running/leaping” obstacles. He signed in ASL, “I’ve done that” and gestured CHECK to reject the obstacle on the right and pick the one on the left, the “Log Runner.” He made it through. 

Kyle then finished the fourth obstacle and then it was time for the fifth one. 

It was the “Sideways,” in which Kyle had to hold on and swing through several unstable overhead objects. Kyle was seen screaming in pain, but he got past halfway and was near the end when during a swing-jump, his hands bumped into one of the overhead objects, forcing him to fall down. 

When Kyle fell from the fifth obstacle, Kyle was visibly emotional in the water, because it was yet another round where he came so close to finishing a course but fell. The show’s hosts were amazed, saying Kyle showed “moxie and grit” for fighting through the pain.

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According to SB Nation, Kyle’s effort was enough to earn him 30th place, which allows him to advance to the semifinals. He told the website that his goal is to finally get a buzzer. He said that his shoulder is still not 100% but he is resting his shoulder. 

Congratulations on the effort, Kyle. The semifinals will have four episodes. One of them will air next week, while the other three will air in August. It is not clear which episode Kyle will appear in, but we’ll update you as soon as we find out. 

This season is Kyle’s fifth as a competitor. He has developed a friendship and collaboration with several other ninjas and with Jessie Graff, a fan favorite who was the first woman to complete several courses some time ago. He teaches Jessie ASL lessons on Instagram. 

Good luck to Kyle as he continues to train and heal.